RE: spooking the deer away scouting
I don' t think a few trips through the woods will create much of a problem. Last year I had my large pines selectively cut, took all summer. (when it rained, they couldn' t get in.) I went back occasionally to check on the cutting, and the deer were still moving around some. Being curious, they were checking out the cuttings too. If you happen to jump one out a bed, don' t do it again, avoid the area. But if you make a pest of yourself, then they will move.